Hideaway
Birds bob around the ocean hoping for a treat
Oman’s South Eastern Coast :
A fisherman’s paradise With 1700 kilometres of coastline, it’s little wonder that much of Oman’s heritage and culture is connected to the sea and the rich marine life found within it. On the South East coast of Oman, the tradition of fishing lives on and is even proving to be a popular and relaxing activity for visitors. One advantage of fishing in this area is that you don’t need to venture far to catch ‘big’ fish. A few hundred metres offshore from Hasik, the ocean floor drops away dramatically to depths of 150 to 200 metres. The conditions are excellent for reef fishing – a line in the water for a mere 60 seconds can fetch a huge grouper, hammour, rainbow fish, tuna or giant trevally. Meanwhile, seagulls and sea eagles bob around the ocean beside boats, waiting patiently for scraps of bait to be dropped back into the water. It’s impressive to watch the local commercial fisherman at work. Using live bait and a hand line, a man pulls in metres of line, lifting one arm at a time – the reward is a massive shimmering silver kingfish. After the icebox is full, the boat travels back
to a small harbour where a large refrigeration truck waits to transport the fish to Salalah. Tuna, camel fish and barracuda are unloaded but the heaviest of these is the kingfish, which is said to fetch up to OMR 50 or 70 for a large size. As the fish comes off the boat it is weighed and given to the wholesaler who records each transaction in his book.
On the South East coast of Oman, the tradition of fishing lives on and is even proving to be a popular and relaxing activity for visitors The fish is then neatly packed in bright blue crates filled with ice, covered in plastic and loaded into the truck. The final destination will be Italy who imports large numbers of red sea bream, the area’s most expensive fish. Article by: Michelle Balmer. Photographs by: Kirsten Holst
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